Morning Came With A Surprise

SABRINA

When my phone rang the next morning, I wanted to throw it against the wall and go back to sleep. I was tired of phones interrupting perfect moments—like last night.

My eyes snapped open at the thought of it.

Beside me, he shifted, groaning as he yanked the pillow from beneath his head and smashed it over his ears to block out the noise.

“Is that mine?” he mumbled, his voice groggy.

“No, it’s mine,” I replied.

“Please turn it off,” he pleaded.

I jolted upright, realizing I should’ve done that already.

“Oh, crap. Sorry.” My fingers scrambled over the screen, frantic to find the silence button. It took me a moment longer than it should have, but when the phone finally went quiet, I sighed in relief.

I turned my attention back to the beautiful man in his bed—the same bed I was lying in. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I saw him watching me, his eyes wide open, no trace of sleepiness despite the groan moments ago.

He laughed softly, tucking the pillow back under his head.

“Watching me while I sleep, princess?”

I yanked the covers off me, defensive.

“I wasn’t watching you. You were watching me—”

“And I could do that all day if you’d let me,” he said, raising his brows playfully.

It was only then I remembered.

I was naked.

Of course, I’d forgotten about last night, about the whirlwind that had left me in this state.

Before I could gather myself, he pulled me back into bed.

Before I could process what was happening—or even attempt to push him away and pretend I didn’t want him near me—he kissed me.

Alex hated morning breath. The first thing he did every day was brush his teeth.

But Blaze didn’t care and I would never tell him but that was the most intimate stuff he had done all night and morning.

I melted into the kiss, my hands finding the nape of his neck, my fingers curling into his hair. I sank into the bed, into him, letting his warmth and his touch take over. When he finally pulled back, he was looking at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes, like he’d just conquered the world.

“One night, remember?” he teased, his voice low.

He rolled to the side of the bed, taking his warmth with him and leaving me cold.

“That’s all the extra love you’re getting today. I’m not fully awake yet—I need more sleep.”

I pursed my lips, closing my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts.

That kiss had left me spinning. It felt so good, it almost hurt. Like riding a carousel while tipsy—exhilarating in the moment, but as soon as it stops, your world is an upturned mess and you’re left scrambling to put yourself back together.

And the fact that he could kiss like that even while half-asleep? It shouldn’t surprise me. Not after last night.

If I let my mind wander to those memories, I’d never leave this bed. So, with a deep breath, I forced myself to sit up and opened my eyes.

“Can I use your bathroom?”

“Of course. Why would you even ask?” he murmured, his voice tinged with a smile.

I glanced over and saw half his face pressed into the pillow, his features softening as he drifted back to sleep. For a moment, I just stood there, watching him like the total creep I was.

Finally, I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could.

My phone buzzed again—the third time that morning and maybe the tenth time since last night. With the ringer silenced, only the lit-up screen gave it away.

“Your Sweet Mother” flashed across the screen.

I half-smiled, half-groaned.

It used to just say “Mum,” but one day, she wrestled my phone away from me at the kitchen counter to change it. I’d never bothered changing it back.

Now her calls reminded me of that memory.

Alex and I had broken up, and she was going to find out soon. There was no keeping secrets from her—not for long, anyway. Even if she didn’t ask, I’d end up blurting it out.

That’s what happens when you let yourself get emotionally dependent on your mother.

I didn’t want to disturb Blaze, so I used his bathroom. I closed the door, put the toilet seat down, and settled in for a moment of peace. In the back of my mind, I reminded myself that I needed to leave soon. As nice as this break felt, I couldn’t overstay my welcome.

“You’ve been blowing up my phone all night.”

Mum sighed over the line when she heard my voice. “And yet, you refuse to answer.”

“Alex and I broke up last night. It’s been rough,” I replied, my voice cracking a little.

I could almost hear my subconscious laughing behind closed doors—yeah, it had definitely been rough.

Mum went quiet for a moment before the flood of concerned questions started. “What happened? Are you okay? Do you need me to come kick his ass?”

“I don’t need you to do anything, Mum,” I said, reaching for a tissue as I prepared for the tears that were about to come. “I want you here, but I don’t need you to come down here.”

“What happened, baby?” A man’s voice—distant, but clear—came through the phone.

I furrowed my brow as I multitasked. I tried to focus on the call while quickly recalling the events. “I caught him with another woman last night. He didn’t even have the decency to take her somewhere else. Like, can you imagine how disrespectful that was?”

“Oh, baby,” Mum sighed sympathetically.

There was a brief silence, followed by her laughing at whoever was with her. “Okay, I’m gonna tell her now.”

“Mum, is there someone with you?” I asked, wiping away a tear as my pity party paused for a second.

“Yes, Sab. Williams is here with me.”

“Who is Williams?” I asked, suddenly more alert as my focus shifted.

I dabbed the tissue against my cheek, catching my falling tears and smeared mascara.

“Sabrina, there’s something important I need to tell you,” Mum said, her tone serious. “I’m getting married. We just got engaged, and we’re coming to Nightpark today for the holiday cruise. It’s a shame Alex won’t be joining us. We had two tickets for you both, thought we could make it a family thing.”

I froze. That was a lot to process. My heart was breaking over Alex, and now Mum was talking about getting engaged and a family vacation?

“How can it be a family thing if I don’t even know him?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“You’ll meet him tonight,” Mum replied. “He’s excited to meet you. I’m sure you two will get along.”

I stood up and walked to the mirror. I had to see the emotion on my face. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I wanted to be happy for Mum, but I had just been cheated on last night. I needed time to process that, not go on some semi-family vacation with a man I didn’t know.

And I had no idea Mum was even dating seriously, let alone engaged.

“So, you’re coming to Nightpark tonight with Williams? Any more surprises?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Yes, kind of,” Mum said. “We’ll be four now, since Alex is a no-show.”

“Four?” I turned on the faucet absentmindedly, placing my phone on speaker and setting it down on the sink.

“Yeah, me, you, Williams, and his son, Blaze. Blaze is already there, though.”

“Blaze?” I echoed, my heart skipping a beat.

“Yes, baby. Do you know him?”

I shook my head, refusing to let that thought sink in. No way. It couldn’t be my stepbrother. The odds were too low. There had to be more than one Blaze in the world, right?

“No,” I said quickly, clinging to the phone. “I just didn’t hear the name properly. So, I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yes, I’ll call you once we arrive. Pack your bags.”

I forced a smile through the confusion. “I love you, Mum.”

“Love you too, my popcorn.”

After we hung up, I marched out to the room. Blaze was still asleep.

Could he be the one? The one who was about to be my stepbrother?

There were thousands of people on the island. The chances of running into a Blaze Williams had to be tiny—like 0.004%. But, as my mind spun, I couldn’t help but feel like I had calculated that wrong.

I had to know for sure.

I went to our clothes and picked up his shirt, looking for a clue. I found his wallet in his pants and immediately opened it. My hands were shaking as I pulled out his ID card.

When I saw the name, everything stopped. ‘Blaze Williams.’ It was him. He was my mom’s fiancé’s son.

I felt like I’d been hit by a freight train. My stomach churned, my throat tightened.

I quickly dressed, needing to get out and breathe. I didn’t wake him. If anything, I prayed he wouldn’t stir.

I had to get out of his room. I slipped out through the front door and stopped once I was far enough to catch my breath.

That didn’t just happen. What do I do now?